ACMUI History

The program for distributing radioisotopes in the United States grew out of part of the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge. Individuals working on the Manhattan project had developed the greatest technical expertise during WWII, and the Manhattan Project publicly announced its program for distributing radioactive isotopes in 1946. Medical researchers and doctors previously had limited access to radioisotopes produced from cyclotrons; however, this new distribution program also allowed access to byproduct material from the uranium chain. Each byproduct material order had to be reviewed and approved, and for human use, each application was reviewed by a special subcommittee at Oak Ridge.

In 1947, Congress created the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which transferred control from the military to civilian sector. The new AEC encompassed all parts of the Manhattan Project, including the subcommittee experts who reviewed and approved distribution of radioactive isotopes. The first medical regulations were developed in the 1950s. The system regulated the types of uses allowed according to their hazard and known risks. It required and provided training of those who would use radioisotopes, and it required the establishment of local radioisotope committees. In 1959, the Oak Ridge subcommittee doing reviews and approvals was officially named the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI). The Commission established the ACMUI under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. In 1974, the Energy Reorganization Act split AEC's responsibilities between the NRC and what is now known as the Department of Energy. The ACMUI's name, functions, and reporting structure remained unchanged under the NRC. Currently the activities of the ACMUI are subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act regulated by the U.S. General Services Administration and NRC's regulations in 10 CFR Part 7.

For additional information, please see:
Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments Final Report - Chapter 6: The AEC Program of Radioisotope Distribution.

(Please note: The Historical Membership list below is not comprehensive.)

Historical Membership

Member Name Position Membership Date
Peter R. Almond Radiation Therapy Physicist 1988 – 1994
Melvin L. Griem Radiation Therapy Physician 1988 – 1994
Carol A. Marcus Nuclear Medicine Physician 1990 – 1994
A. Eric Jones FDA Representative 1993 – 1996
Robert Quillin State Government Representative 1993 – 1996
Judith I. Brown Patients' Rights Advocate 1993 – 1997
Barry A. Siegel Nuclear Medicine Physician 1993 – 1997
Daniel F. Flynn Radiation Therapy Physician 1993 – 1998
David Woodbury FDA Representative 1994 – 1995
Daniel S. Berman Nuclear Cardiologist 1994 – 1996
Judith A. Stitt Radiation Therapy Physician 1994 – 1999
Dennis P. Swanson Nuclear Pharmacist 1994 – 1999
Wil B. Nelp Nuclear Medicine Physicist 1994 – 1999
Louis K. Wagner Medical Physicist 1994 – 2000
John R. Graham Health Care Administrator 1994 – 2001
Theresa Walkup Certified Medical Dosimetrist 1995 – 1997
Jeffrey F. Williamson Medical Physicist, Radiation Therapy 1995 – 1998
Aubrey Godwin Agreement State Representative 1997 – 1997
Andrew Kang FDA Representative 1997 – 1997
Larry Satin Nuclear Cardiologist 1997 – 1997
Naomi P. Alazraki Nuclear Medicine Physician 1997 – 2001
Manuel D. Cerqueira Nuclear Cardiologist 1997 – 2004
Ruth McBurney Agreement State Representative 1997 – 2004
Nekita Hobson Patients Rights Advocate 1998 – 2004
David A. Diamond Radiation Oncologist 2000 – 2007
Sally W. Schwarz Nuclear Pharmacist 2000 – 2008
Subir Nag Radiation Oncologist 2000 – 2009
Richard J. Vetter Radiation Safety Officer 2000 – 2009
Ralph P. Lieto Medical Physicist, Nuclear Medicine 2001 – 2009
Jeffrey A. Brinker Nuclear Cardiologist 2002 – 2004
Douglas F. Eggli Nuclear Medicine Physician 2002 – 2010
Leon S. Malmud Health Care Administrator 2002 – 2013
Albert Raizner Nuclear Cardiologist 2004 – 2005
Robert Schenter Patients' Rights Advocate 2004 – 2006
Edgar Bailey Agreement State Representative 2004 – 2008
Orhan H. Suleiman FDA Representative 2004 – 2014
William A. Van Decker Nuclear Cardiologist 2005 – 2013
Darrell R. Fisher Patients' Rights Advocate 2007 – 2011
Bruce R. Thomadsen Medical Physicist, Radiation Therapy 2007 – 2015
James S. Welsh Radiation Oncologist 2007 – 2015
Debbie B. Gilley Agreement State Representative 2008 – 2011
Steven R. Mattmuller Nuclear Pharmacist  2008 – 2016
Susan M. Langhorst, Ph.D. Medical Physicist, Nuclear Medicine 2008 – 2017
John H. Suh, M.D. Radiation Oncologist (GSR) 2010 – 2018
Pat B. Zanzonico, Ph.D. Medical Physicist, Nuclear Medicine 2010 – 2018
Milton J. Guiberteau Diagnostic Radiologist 2011 – 2015
Christopher J. Palestro, M.D. Nuclear Medicine Physician 2011 – 2019
Laura Weil Patients’ Rights Advocate 2011 – 2019
Darice G. Bailey Agreement State Representative 2012 – 2013
Philip O. Alderson, M.D. Health Care Administrator 2014 – 2018
Francis M. Costello Medical Physicist, Nuclear Medicine 2015 – 2017
Michael A. Sheetz Radiation Safety Officer 2017 – 2021
Arthur R. Schleipman, Ph.D. Health Care Administrator 2018 – 2021
Gary Bloom Patients’ Rights Advocate 2019 – 2021
Vasken Dilsizian, M.D. Nuclear Cardiologist 2014 – 2022

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